quote:

Originally posted by horsedoc:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by 1s1k:
It’s wild reading people justify this and then also say they had a terrible experience where it didn’t work cleanly. If a vet has time to show up it can easily be injected. If people have called the vet then family members are there because it’s no different than the family dog. Maybe even more since it might have been a family member for 30 years.

Imagine showing up with a firearm and the entire family is there in tears and you walk up and have one of those seemingly common “ask me how I know” situations while the family looks on. Totally unacceptable in 2026. Before the usuals come in the exemption doesn’t make the rule.[bee/QUOTE]

Been doing this for 29 years, one week I euthanized over 20 animals, I seriously considered changing careers, even though all were justified. 99.9 percent of all the euthanasia I've done have been by IV injection but it's not always possible.

Walk.a mile in my shoes before you judge.

Tommy

You must have missed my last sentence about the exception not being the rule. Of course there are situations where it might be preferred to use a firearm or even the only choice. 10-96 and others have given perfectly reasonable examples. Your 29 years of real life experiences with 99.9% of them not being at the hand of a gun proves that it doesn’t need to be anything other than a last/only choice type of euthanasia. It’s just not necessary other than very specific circumstances.

I’m not talking about anyone in particular but all the guys acting like it would be a normal thing in 2026 is crazy talk to me. Especially in light of the few guys that talked about doing it and the high percentage of them saying it didn’t go very well and they wouldn’t do it again. Now factor in these guys are all very experienced with firearms and the results were not good.

If a Vet is called there will most likely be family members looking on since the horse will be considered a family member to most of them. I certainly wouldn’t want someone with almost no firearm experience walk up and try to end their life with a firearm. I think I’ll choose the Veterinarian office that works to the vets strengths and relies on their 8+ years of schooling instead of 30 minutes of instruction from Uncle Lou in the back yard.

Everyone has the right to do what they want with their animals of course. Then again I listen to my neighbor talk about her dog all the time reiterating how it’s a family member while she leaves the dog outside overnight in 20 degree weather without a dog house. I guess family member means different things to different people. I wonder if the people seeing this type of euthanasia as no big deal would think the same if it was their dog.

I used to regularly put down deer while on patrol, and it was rare to instantly put out the lights with a single shot from my duty G17.5 or my AR carbine .223. When I carried .40, it took two shots for an injured cow.

Other than hunting with .243/.244 caliber hunting rifles on up to the heart/lungs area, the pistol calibers and the .223 to the head, needed at least two for that desired effect in my experience.

If I had to pick a single firearm for this job, even though I don’t have personal experience actually doing it, I’d probably go with a 30-30 Winchester. It should give a relatively safe distance along with a .30 caliber show-stopper of a round.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I went to the vet and discussed it with him.
He told me looking down from the top, to draw an imaginary X from left ear to the right eye and the same for the other side. He emphasized that even if the animal is down on the ground to aim thru the intersection of the X down into the spinal column.

I’ve had to humanely dispatch horses who have been too severely wounded in tornados and used a .40 cal to the best spot in the head. It hurts to do it but better than them suffering. Just look up shot placement for the brain beforehand.

In our FFA class in high school, I watched a steer get shot point blank in the forehead like in the above diagram with a .22lr. One shot the steer collapsed dead. The class was about processing an animal.

A .22 mag. might be a better choice for an adult bull.


.

I did have to euthanize a horse myself once, and I’ve been present for several others. The first half of the first page had all the information necessary. Most were humanely euthanized by a veterinarian, but even the one I had to put down with a firearm was first tranquilized with Ace or Rompun. The horse relaxes and lowers its head making a clean, humane kill relatively essy.

Never, ever try to euthanize an animal with a shot behind the ear.

quote:

Originally posted by 10-96:
I'm not sure how widespread the news was, but does anyone remember the Smokehouse Creek fire and the Windy Deuce fire of Feb 2024? An estimated 12,000 cattle were lost to that fire that covered 1.2 million acres. Couldn't tell you how many horses, sheep, goats, hogs, or other animals were involved.
That fire was here in the TX Panhandle. There was a whole lot of those animals that had to be put down by firearms. I can't imagine letting a critter suffer with burnt eyes and horrible burns while waiting on the medical approach.

My family is from Perryton/Spearman area. They got lucky and the fires got very close but no major damage. Where up there are you?

I was raised in a small rural Iowa town in the 50's. There was a local butcher shop that did processing and us young guys and a few of the local girls would sometimes stop by and watch the procedure. It was really a good learning experience once you were old enough to understand where your food came from before it was in the meat case. It wasn't cruel and gave one a perspective on farm life. Every steer brought in was put down with a 22 LR out of a bolt action rifle with a not particularly long barrel (18" perhaps"). The vast majority of them went down with a single shot, in fact I never witnessed one needing a follow up. Probably from the years of skill of the butcher. He just picked the spot on the forehead of the animal and pop, down it went.
My great uncle assisted the local veterinary in the same time period and told me that they used either a 22 or 38 pistol when at a farm to do what was required. He did say both him and the vet did not relish dealing with pets but it was a necessity at times and they tried to be discreet regarding family members witnessing. He also mentioned potentially rabid animals were a different matter as the brain had to be sent to the state for examination.

Just be glad she does not have to do it the way the English Cavalry did. You ever see the guy at the back with the blue tunic and axe. It was not for firewood.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
One of my nieces is a large animal vet, primarily horses, and she just started her own practice. This involves traveling to the patients, sometimes in isolated places, and she has asked me to teach her to shoot so she will be comfortable carrying concealed. While I will certainly teach her revolvers and semi-autos, I am inclined to initially recommend she carry a small revolver, and I like the Ruger LCR in 327 Federal Magnum. This holds six rounds, and I think it is an effective cartridge for self defense.

This morning she texted me and asked again about training, but added the wrinkle of the necessity for euthanizing horses. She said she had a need, and the owner had a gun but wasn’t comfortable doing it. She of course didn’t do it because she hasn’t had any training with guns. So herein lies the question. If she carries a handgun for self defense, is this appropriate for euthanizing a horse (or other large animal, ie cow)? Or should I recommend a small crack barrel rifle dedicated for such purpose? If so, I’d imagine any small rifle caliber would do the job. Is a .22LR or .22 Mag adequate?

Does anyone here have experience with this unpleasant but necessary business? I’d appreciate any recommendations. Thanks.

This time last year I had to put down a quarterhorse. I used my P320/9mm with JHP...1 shot between/above the eyes dropped her DRT.

I did not enjoy this--she had been abused and we got her as a rescue/emergency placement from animal control (we are on a list of safe farms when the county can't place a horse).

We had her for 18 months--17 months longer than we were supposed to have her, but the county couldn't place her anywhere else due to her issues. We had several trainers come out to work with her (she was beyond our skillset). Eventually she became more dangerous to herself and other horses--be also dangerous to us when she would get food aggressive during feeding.

God bless your niece for being a large animal vet...not an easy job.

quote:

Originally posted by horsedoc:

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I would expect a large animal vet to keep euthanasia medicines in syringes for her patients and not have to shoot animals.

^^^This^^^

Why would a trained Vet need to use a gun to put a horse down instead of having the appropriate drugs available???? I could see using a gun for a rabid animal but not a horse that just needs to be euthanized.[/QUOTE

You probably haven't been exposed to a colicing 1200 pound horse flipping and flopping like a fish out of water. You risk significant injury and probably won't get an injection in it anyway. So do you let it suffer till it's close enough to dead to give it an injection instead?

As for other livestock it's frowned upon to use a controlled substance, which euthanasia solution is,in food producing animals.

I will add that with a center fire pistol cartridge use FMJ or solids, not Holowpoints, don't ask how I know.

Tommy

Depending on the totality of circumstances, a horse won't let them be touched.

quote:

Just be glad she does not have to do it the way the English Cavalry did. You ever see the guy at the back with the blue tunic and axe. It was not for firewood.

The spike on the axe was used for "administering last rites" to horses, and the axe was to remove a serial numbered hoof to prove or verify the death of a horse.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
It’s wild reading people justify this and then also say they had a terrible experience where it didn’t work cleanly. If a vet has time to show up it can easily be injected. If people have called the vet then family members are there because it’s no different than the family dog. Maybe even more since it might have been a family member for 30 years.

Imagine showing up with a firearm and the entire family is there in tears and you walk up and have one of those seemingly common “ask me how I know” situations while the family looks on. Totally unacceptable in 2026. Before the usuals come in the exemption doesn’t make the rule.

Frankly, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. The vet only gets to use the needle if the vet can safely approach the animal and has suitable help. This is not always the case. Sometimes they're injured and doomed, but still somewhat mobile and will not let the doc approach. Sometimes they're colicing (horsedoc mentioned this) and cannot be approached. Sometimes it's the 2 AM farm call with the 70 year old farmer and he or she just is not enough help to get it done. Sometimes they're lose near a highway (I've seen this with cattle truck crashes).

Sometimes it's a pregnant cow and the only way to not risk the calf is the so-called "Mexican C Section" (not my term) where the mother is shot and the calf is cut out. It wouldn't be prudent to shoot the mother full of euthasol if there was a chance of saving the calf.

This is all ugly, but it's reality. Pretending that it just shouldn't be a thing is akin to second guessing police use of force because "they should be able to..."

Here is something possibly suitable for $99: https://www.sportsmans.com/sho...ol-1-round/p/1770735

quote:

Originally posted by Biker_dude:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I went to the vet and discussed it with him.
He told me looking down from the top, to draw an imaginary X from left ear to the right eye and the same for the other side. He emphasized that even if the animal is down on the ground to aim thru the intersection of the X down into the spinal column.

I recallseeing a picture like that in the killing room at the slaughter house. (Tagging along in one of Dad's DVM rounds) Was also told there they used a 30-30